The Astros are going to the American League.....which just seems wrong. I was a huge Astros fan back when I lived in Houston, and I intensely dislike the DH, so this is unacceptable. And you kids get off my lawn!

The Astros are going to the American League.....which just seems wrong. I was a huge Astros fan back when I lived in Houston, and I intensely dislike the DH, so this is unacceptable. And you kids get off my lawn!

Click to expand...

I believe that means season-long interleague, right? I disapprove - get off my lawn, indeed.

I'm cautiously optimistic. The Angels have shored up their bullpen which was the biggest problem the team had last season. I'm not very familiar with any of the new starters though, so I'm a little weary.

I'm cautiously optimistic. The Angels have shored up their bullpen which was the biggest problem the team had last season. I'm not very familiar with any of the new starters though, so I'm a little weary.

Click to expand...

I'd be weary when it comes to Tommy Hanson, too. His velocity has been dropping, and there are apparently mechanical issues. OTOH, if it does work out for the Angels, that's a nice bargain.

With Glavine, Maddux and Johnson all coming on the ballot next year, Morris doesn't have a prayer against those guys.

Click to expand...

Maddux is obviously going to get in easily, and I hope Glavine will be first-ballot too, they should go in together. I assume you mean Randy Johnson, but I don't think he's eligible until 2015. Frank Thomas is eligible and should get in sooner rather than later. Of the holdovers, Biggio will probably be elected, since he was pretty close this year, maybe Piazza too? Agreed that Morris's chance was this year.

Eventually they'll have to figure out what to do about steroid era players. If a confessed cheat was voted in (Gaylord Perry, who doctored baseballs) I don't see why certain players currently on the ballot should be kept out based on suspicion only.

For whatever reason, throwing a spitball or doctored ball, has been viewed as "cute" and not seen with the same disdain as using PEDs. Even though throwing a ball like that has been illegal since 1920, guys like Perry and an even weaker candidate in Don Sutton got elected. But IMO, cheating is cheating.

Jack Morris was always viewed as a marginal candidate by the writers. His stats tend to let him down, especially his very high ERA. But ask anyone in the 80's who'd you want on the mound, and it's Morris.

Piazza has PED rumors to contend with, lots of writers commented on the bad back acne they'd see on him, plus the major muscles which are indicative of PED use. It's not proof, but at this point, mere suspicion loses you votes.

You will also see a number of voters change their non-votes for the suspected PED users. Many are on the record that they intend a one year boycott.

BTW, one unspoken problem for the HOF will happen should guys like Bonds or Clemens get in. Lots of HOFers will not attend the ceremony if those guys get in. A boycott would be very embarrassing, as the roll call before the induction is the highlight of the day for most people. Yet it will happen, that's for sure.

I found it funny that no one got in ... well in a sad way. I'd like to see Bonds and the other PED users have to wait a very loooooooooooooooooooooooong time should they ever get in.

Morris -- I feel bad for him not getting in yet. I understand that he may not have the numbers that others wish he did but I would agree, if I needed someone on the mound back then, Morris would be my first call.

Speculation on the radio here is that Morris won't ever get in because he wasn't the friendliest person to the writers/media back in his day, and they are the ones who vote.

Click to expand...

He needs to start sending them all gift baskets now .. and keep it up till election time next year. Seriously, he was THE guy you wanted on the mound in a crucial game back in his day, and the one guy you didn't want to face if you were on the opposing team. Maybe we need another category of inductees voted on by HOFamers themselves. Surely they're a better judge of "hall of fame" criteria than baseball writers. (Not that I want to open up the can of worms that is "how you get into the Baseball Hall of Fame".)

Speculation on the radio here is that Morris won't ever get in because he wasn't the friendliest person to the writers/media back in his day, and they are the ones who vote.

Click to expand...

His ERA isn't helping him much, either. It's on the high end, and while I'm not familiar with his numbers based on advanced metrics, I bet most HoF voters aren't, either BTW, I've heard the same said about Barry Bonds - that people would be more forgiving about the PED issue if he weren't perceived as a jerk.

OTOH, being a nice guy and a class act didn't help Dale Murphy. The character clause is only used to keep people out, when voters feel like it.

Actually alixana, the HOF does have a veterans committee, which is used to elect players that might have been overlooked during their original eligibility. And players do make up part of that committee. But Morris is going to have to wait a long time before he becomes eligible for the committee.

And Murphy's case for the HOF isn't anywhere near as good as Morris'. While Dale was just about the best player in MLB for a couple of years, his years of excellence were actually pretty short. He also doesn't have any post-season heroics, wheras Morris is one of the better big game pitchers of all time.

And while some players have had contentious relationships with the media over the years, for the most part, the writers would elect Satan himself if he had the numbers. Put it this way, had Bonds retired after the 1998 season before his PED use started, he gets in a walk, no matter what people thought of him as a person.

Finally, over the past 10 years a lot of the writers have embraced advanced metrics stats. While it's not universally used, it's incorrect to think that they aren't being used. What you see is most of the newer, younger writers who are using them in their assessment process. But next year, you don't need any stats to elect Greg Maddux, you just know.

Actually alixana, the HOF does have a veterans committee, which is used to elect players that might have been overlooked during their original eligibility. And players do make up part of that committee. But Morris is going to have to wait a long time before he becomes eligible for the committee.

Click to expand...

Yes, I'm aware .. it just seems that they're all dead before they get voted in (ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a little). It would be nice to honour them while they're still alive!

Finally, over the past 10 years a lot of the writers have embraced advanced metrics stats. While it's not universally used, it's incorrect to think that they aren't being used. What you see is most of the newer, younger writers who are using them in their assessment process. But next year, you don't need any stats to elect Greg Maddux, you just know.

Click to expand...

All the numbers are in his favor, and nobody could ever seriously argue that he was using PEDs. Just look at the guy. And yet some voters will still not vote for him on the first ballot, based on some idiotic principle.

You are correct, there are a few demented writers who feel that nobody should be 100% of the votes, because Willie Mays didn't, or Hank Aaron, or Babe Ruth, or whomever the writer feels got slighted. It's stupid, but it's a fact.

If it wasn't such a crowded ballot next year, I'd be willing to be that Maddux could challenge Tom Seaver for the highest % of votes in an election. He has no baggage, no taint to his name. It's like they took one of the guys off The Big Bang Theory, gave him a uniform, stuck him on the mound and watch him win 355 games, 4 Cy Youngs, and a gazillion Gold Glove awards.

Greg Maddux was simply an artist on the mound, a nerdy artist, a genious pitching artist to be sure.

If it wasn't such a crowded ballot next year, I'd be willing to be that Maddux could challenge Tom Seaver for the highest % of votes in an election. He has no baggage, no taint to his name. It's like they took one of the guys off The Big Bang Theory, gave him a uniform, stuck him on the mound and watch him win 355 games, 4 Cy Youngs, and a gazillion Gold Glove awards.

Greg Maddux was simply an artist on the mound, a nerdy artist, a genious pitching artist to be sure.

Click to expand...

I love that his response to being told how smart he was "you know what makes you smart? Locate your fastball down and away. That is what makes you smart." If only it were that simple... (though it does help).

The Blue Jays are in the midst of their Annual Winter Tour and Saskatoon is the stop for today and tomorrow too I think. The guys were invited to the Granite Curling Club to try out Canada's Roaring Game. Haven't seen any vids yet, but have seen some of the guys in the hack and about to make their first attempts at throwing a stone.

I joined Twitter on the Weekend and have really been enjoying following the Tour that way. Jamie Campbell from Sportsnet is also w/them and he shared this w/us about an hour ago....

Pitchers and catchers for my Reds report one month from TOMORROW!!!! The Reds Caravan is coming up two weeks from tomorrow and I am attending that for the first time which is really exciting. It's basically a fan event that travels throughout the region and several of my fave players will be at the stops. It's free to the public and there are all kinds of giveaways and fun events at each stop. Dang, I am SO ready for baseball to be back!

My mom and I are thinking about heading to Arizona for spring training in March so I'm excited about this possibility. I've never attended it before and I'm stoked about having a rare vacation that involves me being outside and able to do sightseeing between events and that doesn't involve 12-14 hours in a cold arena, LOL

So I just figured out I could watch the World Series on my At Bat app on my iPad. Some of you may recall that I stopped watching the games after the Giants lost every game I watched, and won when I only listened. So I have not actually, you know, SEEN the World Series.

Watching game one now. And experiencing a little gloating at the announcers "The Tigers and Verlander are going to smash the Giants."

In honour of the 20th Anniversary of it happening, Sportsnet reshowed all of the games of the Blue Jays winning our 1st World Series back in 1991 over the Holiday period. Sigh....Good times!!! So I know in a way how you're feeling PL.

Poor JP Arenciba had a bit of a problem during the Jays final Winter Tour stop today in Edmonton. He had a little girl about a Year old I'd guess in his lap, all dolled up in her Blue Jays gear for her Parents to take their picture together and then....She saw his gold chain and was NOT letting go after grabbing it.

Those poor parents looked so embrassed, but he laughed it off. Like he said, little ones love shiny things and it was all good.